Ilia Vivid Foundation – F1 Fair*

Choosing a foundation for winter-wear is a bit of a nightmare for me. Like most people, I want something with a little extra coverage (cold temperatures and wind are not easy on skin) but I don’t want something that ends up looking heavy and cakey. So, when I got the chance to give Ilia’s brand new Vivid foundation a run, I absolutely jumped at the chance!

Available in nine shade, and packaged in a super-sleek, pump-topped bottle, I only need a single pump every morning. Although it immediately looks like it might be quite high coverage, it feels wonderfully lightweight on the skin, and covers imperfections without looking unnatural. I smooth on the foundation with either a dampened Beauty Blender, or my fingers, and it applies like a dream. Once it’s all on, it does feel a tad sticky to the touch, but if you top off with either pressed powder or bronzer, it becomes soft and smooth, really sinking into skin. It gives a beautiful, fresh, quite luminous finish, which is precisely what my skin needs. I think it’s because it’s such a moisturizing formula – there is coconut oil to hydrate, whilst Green Tea and Rosemary Extract fight against free radical damage. Ilia have also sourced a new and unique ingredient, sourced from a tree on the Greek Island of Chios, which offers a natural solution to reduce pore size, shine and contains anti-bacterial properties. The medicinal resin, is able to be incorporated into skin care as a natural matifying skin refiner.